FOR SCHOOLS - It's Enrollment Time

As I mentioned in my last blog posting, I want to give you a taste of what you will learn at my upcoming seminar.  Today, I'm writing about a topic that causes lots of stress for many schools - ENROLLMENT.

This week I also have a SPECIAL OFFER FOR MY UPCOMING SEMINAR:

PAY WHAT YOU CAN 

OR

MAKE A DOWN PAYMENT 

Really, I mean it.  You don't really know what you're going to get unless you've already attended one of my seminars.  I'm literally taking 10 years of what I've learned and documented and sharing it. 

Plus, I love helping small organizations, and I don't want money to be a barrier to getting all that I'm offering.  When you're raking in the dough later on, you can send me another check if you want.  

WHEN YOU ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE WHAT I HAVE PLANNED, I trust you will think it's one of the best workshops you've ever attended.  I know, because that's what many attendees have told me in the past.  

To find out more or to register and take advantage of this special offer, click on the following: 

www.alineaconnect.com

www.deblukovich.blogspot.com

My YouTube Channel 

Now, on to today's topic! 

It's That Time of Year Again - STUDENT ENROLLMENT 

The most requested item my school clients ask for help with is STUDENT ENROLLMENT.

• Charter schools that are getting off the ground spend a lot of time developing their curriculum, but without enough students, they won't have the budget they need to fully implement their unique approach.  Often times, the new charter school is seen as a threat to the existing public schools, so being strategic is very important.  In addition, the whole concept of a charter school is confusing and sometimes carries a lot of negative baggage.  When my clients hire me, I can pretty much guarantee that if they use my approach, they will not only achieve their enrollment goal; they will achieve it ahead of schedule. 

• Public schools that are losing students to other districts or voucher schools are not used to having to promote their schools and woo families.  There was a time when students just showed up to the local public school for kindergarten and didn't leave until they graduated from high school.  Student enrollment can be very competitive, especially in urban areas where there is a lot of expertimentation happening with different types of schools 

• Private and Religious schools have been losing students over the past decade or so due to changing demographics and economics.  Some religious and private schools have tried to fill in the gap by participating in the school choice program, which means low-income families are allowed to attend their school and a portion of the money that the public school recieves to educate that child goes to the private or religious school.  While this is a good option for some families, these schools have had to redefine who they are and how they will meet the needs of a more diverse student population.  They struggle with communicating their mission and approach to the wider community.  

Key to Achieving Enrollment Goals - Two-Part Formula 

The key to achieving your enrollment goal is two-fold.  

The FIRST STEP is actually alinea's formula for effective community engagement = STORY + DIRECTION = RELATIONSHIPS.  You must NOT panic and use the "spray and pray" approach.  The more you are clear on which students are most likely to succeed at your school, the more effective you will be in attracting those students.  It doesn't feel intuitive, but the smaller and more defined your niche, the more prospects you will attract, because you are speaking directly to them instead of to everybody.  Hopefully, you've developed a professional case statement so you're clear on how to communicate your story. 

The SECOND STEP is to understand the formula for an effective student enrollment strategy = OUTREACH + CONSTANT FOLLOWUP UNTIL YOU GET A YES OR NO + RELATIONSHIP CULTIVATION.  

While it's tempting to want to spend what little resources you have on things like billboards, advertising, fancy videos and other expensive marketing items (you will actually be encouraged to do so), you will not get as big of return as with good old fashioned grassroots organizing - connecting with people on a personal basis.

I know this personally.  I was the first founding board member of a charter school in urban Milwaukee.  When we developed our enrollment plan, we assumed we'd have to GO TO WHERE THE PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS ARE.  It's kind of arrogant to assume that when you're opening a new school students will just find you.  Those families don't know you.  We held block parties and offered food, beverages, kids' games.  The founder and a group of volunteers stood outside gas stations and grocery stores.  We even borrowed an ice cream truck, and gave away popsicles just to get attention.  We'd talk to the kids, tell them about the school and why we thought it was cool and then we asked where they lived.  Then the enrollment team (lots of volunteers and our early family enrollees) went door to door, asking to talk with parents about the  new school.  It was really hard work, but that's what it took.  IT WILL ALWAYS REQUIRE MORE OUTREACH THAN YOU THINK! 

I've helped all kinds of schools (public, charter, choice, private, religious) in all kinds of settings (urban, suburban, rural) with enrollment.  The formula is ALWAYS THE SAME.   

Step #1 - Set a Goal and Determine Activities Needed to Achieve Goal 

Before you put my formula to work, you must have a goal.  Attracting and enrolling students is an activity-driven task.  You cannot control whether people say YES or No to coming to your school.  So you need to focus on what you can control - # OF OUTREACH ACTIVITIES AND # OF FOLLOWUP ACTIVITIES.  

Let's use a real example.  My client Tomorrow River Community School is a charter school in Amherst, WI.  They are in the middle of their first year and currently have 52 students.  Their goal is to recruit 25 new students, mostly in the kindergarten class, add an additional kindergarten class and expand their 1st grade by another class.  

They give preference to the siblings of current students, and they have identified that probably 8 new students will come from siblings of current students.  They are reaching out to those families right now.  That leaves 17 new students.  The director of the school does about one tour per week with interested families that have learned about the school and pretty much 100% of those families enroll a student.  With their enrollment period ending at the end of April, that means that probably about 10 new students will come from tours (they have done a great job of spreading the word - see my blog on creating ambassadors).  That leaves about 7 additional students they need to recruit.  They should plan on doing enough outreach to get at least three times that number interested in the school.  This school's strategy is holding monthly information meetings targeted toward current and prospective parents.  

My other client Granton School District has a goal of recruiting 75 new students for next fall.  When I started working with them two years ago, they said they'd be thrilled to add 10 new families.  With my guidance, they did that.  As I continued to work with them and build their confidence and skills in outreach, they recruited in excess of 25 new families during this current year.  Having a specific goal will allow you to determine how many prospects you need and how many outreach activities are needed to generate those prospects.

How did they do it?  The answer lies in Step #2. 

Step #2 - Outreach Activities that Generate Prospective Students 

  This is the hard work.  Well, it's not really hard, it's just where my clients get nervous because they're a little shy when it comes to doing outreach.  Outreach activities are any activity that can lead to connecting with prospective families and students.  

Here's another real example.  My current client, Nova Tech, the 5th school to be opened by TransCenter for Youth in Milwaukee, needs 100 students by this fall.  Their #1 outreach opportunity is students at one of their current schools who are interested in an education that focuses on technical and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) careers.  We estimate that there may be 20 students from that one source.  So, that's where we're focusing our efforts first.  And because one of our goals is to have at least one-third of the students be girls, we have different outreach plans for girls and boys.  Because we also know that girls have a hard time seeing themselves in this type of career because they lack role models, we've recruited about seven young, primarly women of color who work in technical and STEM careers.  We just held our first information session just for girls at TransCenter's other school and it was a wild success.  

So, the first thing is to strategize who your prospects are and where the biggest number of them hang out.  Here are the top two outreach strategies in my experience: 

• Information sessions - These are sessions for prospective families and/or students who might be a good match for your school.  You want to hold the sessions at locations where your prospects hang out or at your school.  For example, if you're trying to recruit students for a high school, then holding information sessions at middle schools would be a good strategy.  Start with the middle schools where you have a good relationship with the principal or guidance counselor.  Ask them if you can hold a session there.  They might say yes or they might say no - remember I said you can't control who says yes or no.  Some will definitely say YES.  Another good venue for information sessions are organizations that serve kids like Boys and Girls Clubs or the YMCA or community centers.  Often, these organizations are proud to offer another resource to their own constiuents.  

• Tabling at events - Tabling is one of those old-fashioned grassroots strategies.  When you go to a neighborhood block party or community festival or county fair, you will see "tables" with volunteers trying to connect with potential customers or asking for signatures on referendums, etc.  This is tabling.  Many of my rural school clients have volunteers working at "tables" at these types of events.  I provide them with the training, scripts and materials to maximize the number of interactions they have with folks who could be or lead to prospective families and students.  Anywhere there is a gathering of people who might be your prospects is a tabling opportunity. 

Step #3 - Put EVERY PROSPECT into a tracking document and follow up immediately and consistently until you get a YES or NO.  

Just because you made a good impression on someone and they expressed interest, doesn't mean they'll take the next step.  Rarely does that happen.  People are busy.  But if you were lucky enough to connect with someone who expessed an interest in your school, your job has just began.  You must follow up with your prospects and offer them whatever they need to make a decision YES or NO.  Here are possible next steps: 

• Tour of the school - You ideally want your prospect to come to your school so they can touch and feel the magic of what their child will experience.  If I haven't written a blog about how to conduct a compelling tour, then go to my website and sign up to receive my handout on Developing a Compelling Tour.  Don't let them just walk out the door after the tour.  Sit down and ask them what they think and what they need to know or do in order to come to a decision.  Then let their feedback guide your next steps. 

• Packet of Information - For some people, a personal tour feels too risky; they're not ready to be pressed for a decision.  They might just want to start with more information.  You should be ready to send a packet that includes your case statement, a school calendar, a newsletter if you have one, and some references if your're an existing school.  You will also want to offer educational pieces about your unique approach, like project based learning, Waldorf or Montessori philosophy, how awesome your athletic program is, your internship program - anything that helps them touch and feel your unique approach. 

• Application or Enrollment Paperwork - If you get a YES, don't look at it as a done deal.  This is an opportunity to really cultivate a relationship with a new family that might become a new active ambassador for your school.  In addition, think carefully about what information you could gather in the application that will enlighten you about the family and their child.  If you're a project based learning school, finding out about the new student's interests could help you determine what kinds of community partnerships you need.  If you get a NO, do not waste that opportunity either.  Ask the prospects who end up saying NO why they made that decision so you can use it as a learning opportunity.  Ask them if they know others who might be a match - this could result in new prospects. 

If you use this approach, I guarantee you will achieve your enrollment goal.  Personal outreach is a great way to get current families involved in your school or to put volunteers to work.  You'll need to do a little training and provide them with tools, but volunteers are your most effective ambassadors.  

My caution though is not to take your families and students for granted once you've enrolled them.  See this as only the beginning of relationship cultivation.  

Good luck this enrollment season!  Feel free to respond to my blog with a question or share a success story.  You'll inspire others and build awarness of your school and community.  

YOU'LL LEARN MORE ABOUT 

ENROLLMENT STRATEGIES

PLUS RECEIVE 

ALL THE TEMPLATES AND TOOLS YOU NEED 

AT MY UPCOMING SEMINAR 

Register right here on my blog!

Deb 

12 Days of Gratitude: Day 3 - Thank a teacher

“A good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others.”  ~Mustafa Kemal Atatürk

Our hearts go out to the families and community of Newton, Connecticut and our thoughts and prayers are with them during this difficult time.  As the weight of this tragedy continues to sink in, and our children return to school, we must recognize how important it is to take the time to thank the teachers who care for, guide and protect our children every single day. 

This week, be sure to take some time to write a letter, give a call, or stop by your child's classroom and share your thanks and appreciation for a teacher. They have one of the most important jobs in the world.  

The Twelve Days of Gratitude: Day 2

Are you on a first name basis with your printer?

Have you ever thought to thank your printer? Do you know your printer or do they know you?

Next time you take a printing job to your regular neighborhood printer, ask if the manager is available, introduce yourself, and tell them what a great job they are doing.   Just think, have they ever gotten documents printed for you at the last minute, under deadline?  

It's important to recognize the people that are often overlooked but make an impact on your school or organization.  Take some time to tell them about some of the wonderful things happening at your school or organization and invite them to come take a tour.

And you’d be surprised what could come of this, by just letting someone know they are appreciated.  We’ve had clients who have just simply introduced themselves, said thank you, and the printer felt so appreciated that he donated the next printing job to the school for free.   

Do you have a go-to printer that you know by name? Have you taken the time to introduce yourself to him/her?

Next time you drop off a project, take some time to introduce yourself, and let us know how it goes.

While You’re Trying to Change Education, You Can Help Your Child Function Within the System RIGHT NOW – NO MEDICATION INVOLVED!

 

Do you find yourself?

•       Being exasperated and as a last result shouting, “Can’t you just go to bed, sit still, do that match problem, get dressed for school?”

•       Having to come to the defense of your child while trying very hard to be respectful of education experts? 

•       Starting over every single year with a new teacher that implies that you think your child is perfect and go three-quarters of the school year to come to the conclusion that you do know your child's needs better than they do.

•       Feeling like you’re hitting your head against a brick wall as teachers continue to say that your child's behavior is not acceptable, and implying that it’s your child's fault, and being unwilling to look at all of the factors in the teacher handbook that outline 9 out of 10 factors impacting behavior have to do with learning environment, teaching style, learning style, etc. 

•       Frustrated at the lack of knowledge, resources, flexibility and complete unwillingness to focus on meeting the needs of your children instead of proving that their system works. 

I used to think I was the only one with a child that could be described in this way.  That is until I started talking with other parents.  Not so surprising I guess is the fact that the schools themselves do not share the number of concerns expressed by parents when it comes to schools not meeting the needs of their children.  Perhaps that’s by design.  One parent sure feels pretty powerless to take on a school system on their own.

As special and brilliant as you know your child is, you have no doubt realized that some of his behaviors are obstacles for him/her socially and practically.  You’ve seen them struggle with transitioning from one thing to another.  You’ve seen them struggle with making and keeping friends of their own age.  You’ve seen their black and white mindset result in extreme happiness some days and extreme negativity on other days. 

I have come to learn that all of the disorders that are so much a part of our lives today – ADHD, sensory integration, autism, asperger’s and others – are all neurological in nature and have to do with an imbalance between the right and left hemispheres of the brain.  I’m going to explain this in parent talk, but you will want to learn more about this in the book DisconnectedKids, by Dr. Robert Melillo, Creater and Cofounder of Brain BalanceCenters. 

1.    The right hemisphere of the brain is where things like creativity, comprehension, and understanding social context live. 

2.     The left hemisphere of the brain is where things like math, reasoning, logic and reading live.  

3.    Everything we do utilizes both hemispheres of the brain.  

4.    If one hemisphere is overall significantly higher or lower than the other, then things come out wrong.  

5.    When there is an imbalance between the hemispheres, the stronger hemisphere is dominant and the weaker side gets weaker because it’s not being used enough.

6.    Because of the imbalance, the brain and metabolism have to work very, very hard, likely leading to deficiencies in vitamins, minerals and amino acids, which impact further how the brain works. 

7.    Core strength of the body and central nervous system likely are weakened for the same reason.

My son as an example:

1.     My son had a weaker left hemisphere, but it was pretty much where he should be for his age, excepting a couple specific areas within the left hemisphere.  This manifested as difficulty making friends within his peer group, an inability to screen what came out of his mouth for example. 
2.     My son’s left hemisphere was actually way ahead of his peer group.  He could read like a 17 year old (he was 11), but he could not comprehend like a 17 year old.  He could do complicated math problems in his head, but he couldn’t necessarily use a specific method and show this on paper.  
3.    While we thought our son was getting the same nutrition as our daughter, he had not gained weight for three years.  It turns out he had significant deficiencies in certain vitamins, minerals, amino acids, etc.
4.     While my son was extremely active, skateboarding, biking, amazing short spurts of energy, had been practicing Tae Kwon Do for four years, he lacked endurance and could rarely make it to the car as we walked as a family from an event. 

The solution:

My mom had been telling me about the Brain Balance Centers for two years.  Last year, when my husband and I were at our wit’s end, I went to see Dr. Jeremy Fritz, who runs the Brain Balance Center in Mequon.  He drew pictures for me that explained what I just shared above, and it just made so much sense.  There just had to be a reason and there had to be a solution. 

We completed a comprehensive assessments, which included all the usual questionnaire for ADD, ADHD, autism, asperger’s, an assessment of specific areas of the brain in both hemispheres, an assessment of core strength and finally, a lab test of blood for a comprehensive assessment of his health.

We decided to try the Brain Balance therapy, consisting of 36 one-hour sessions over 12 weeks, strict nutrition program and a home therapy component.  At the Brain Balance Center, the weaker parts of my son’s right hemisphere were stimulated through visual exercises, physical exercises as well as academic work.  At home, we did eye exercises, core exercises, music therapy and stuck to a very strict nutrition plan. 

Initial Results:  

1. My son gained five pounds within three weeks, which said to me that he was actually malnourished, which definitely would impact his brain performance.      

2. Half way through the sessions, I noticed some things that would be very subtle for other people, but were a big deal for my son.  For example, in class, when my son shuts down, he shuts down.  He could be half way through a worksheet, and just not be able to make himself finish.  Typically, when his teacher would address this with him, he would immediately become defensive and possibly walk out of the class.  After 18 sessions of brain therapy however, he began being able to slow down and think and plan.  When this scenario happened again, he actually realized himself he wasn’t able to complete his work, but then he decided to come back later and finish.  Another example.  My son was part of a threesome of friends.  He had always been very easily embarrassed and couldn’t not read social situations very well.  He would often come home and blow out of proportion something a friend said and exclaim that he didn’t have any friends.  In this instance, one of the friends said something that typically would have hurt my son’s feeling causing him to come home and declare he had no friends.  But this time, after his friend said he was kidding, he thought about what his friend had said, and replied, “You know, that’s not really funny.”  The three of them continued playing.  These two examples were really huge successes at the time.  

3. Therapy ended this past June, and my son started 6^th grade.  He looked at sixth grade as his blank slate and new start, and we made sure that the middle school (Whitefish Bay Middle School is fantastic!) would treat him that way.  Unlike the past five years of his life, he looked forwarded to school, and he actually ran home after his first day shouting, “I love school!”  The next day he said, “Ryan and I decided that we’d rather be at school than home sick sitting on the couch bored.”  I just wanted to cry.  I hadn’t realized how much I had internalized my son’s unhappiness over the years.  It’s now five weeks into the school year, and we’re getting reports from his teachers about how well he is doing, how engaged he is, he’s taking responsibility for his homework almost every night, he’s made several new friends, he said yesterday that one of the teachers “got kids,” he’s thinking about joining student council.  He is a completely new person, having kept his wonderful personality, unique curiosity, brilliance and empathy, but gained self control, ability to understand social situations, reflect on things, and o yes, he’s getting awesome grades. 

I’m writing about this, because I guarantee 99% of you have never heard of this.  You may be seeing psychologists, psychiatrists, giving your child medication and at the same time consoling your son that he can get through this part of his life.  There’s no reason to continue the insanity. 

I’m on a mission to bring this important information to everyone who needs it.  My second goal is to figure out how to bring the therapy to people in a way that is affordable.  My third goal is to bring this education to schools and teachers who are not addressing the real needs of kids like my son.  They don’t fit into special education programs – they’re smart. 

Is your child a casualty of our out-of-date 19th Century education system?

WATCH THIS VIDEO!

Does your son or daughter say things like?

•    I hate school

•    My teacher makes me feel stupid

•    I learn more by watching National Geographic than I do in school

•    My teacher walks by me when I raise my hand

•    My teacher pretends to care about me, but she really cares more about teaching the other kids in the class

•    I hate my life, and I don’t want to live anymore

Do you get calls from school that sound like this?

•    I have 20 other kids to teach

•    Your child is disruptive to the other kids in class

•    Your child is “making poor choices”

•    Your child doesn’t complete assignments and can’t focus for very long

Is your son or daughter . . .

•    Very bright and intense

•    Insatiably curious about how things work

•    Can’t stop talking about what he knows and asking questions about what would happen if

•    Creative with things like scotch tape, binder clips, stickers, paper, rubber bands and items like this?

•    Verbal, able to participate in conversations with adults

•    Make strange noises, break out in song walking through the house, spin, jump and just can’t sit still unless he’s rally engaged in something

•    Love to go deep into topics

•    Wants to feel normal, fit in and have friends so badly, but just can’t seem to do this successfully

•    Easily embarrassed


I’m tired of making excuses for teachers, principals, superintendents and school board members for why my son hated school and didn’t want to live anymore because going to school caused him so much anxiety, not to mention the stigma he lived with as he became a target for other children in his classroom and adults in the school building.

I could go on and on about how my son’s schools failed him, but I want to focus on inspiring and empowering people who find themselves in the same situation.  

You’re Not Alone!

1.    Always trust your instincts!  I used to give the benefit of the doubt to the teacher or principal over my son.   If you have a feeling that something isn’t right, you are most likely right. 

2.    Always advocate for your child!  Being polite and respectful, doesn’t mean going along with what the teacher says.  Keep the focus on what your child needs in order to thrive in school.  Do your homework and work with the teacher to identify when your child is engaged and learning and when he/she is not.  The answer about what he needs is in the answers to that question.  The school has promised to meet your child's needs for learning, so the focus needs to be on how to make this happen no matter what. 

3.    Don’t waste time!  Don’t stand for starting over every year with a new teacher who three quarters into the year is absolutely lost about how to meet your child's needs.  I used to give the teacher the benefit of the doubt every single year.  What I was actually doing though is putting the teacher’s need to control the situation and resist making changes above my child's needs.   Every day a child does not feel cared about in school is a tragedy.

4.    Get Involved!  In our country, we could be rushing to rebuild our education system to be the best in the world, but there’s a lot of resistance happening because it’s always hard to change.  Change will not happen without agitators and disruptors.  You’re not alone.  


If you want to learn more about the most innovative education initiatives that could be happening in your child’s school, let us know.  Send us a comment, an email, a tweet.

A Personal Story

As I excitedly get ready to launch our plans for 2012, I thought I’d take a moment to share some the motivation and passion behind the work my company does.

I never anticipated building a company full of people that love helping schools and nonprofits attract resources and achieve more than they think possible.  But here we are at the beginning of a new year and after eight years of creating a model that works and a reputation of results for almost 100 schools and nonprofits. 

They say that when you find the work that results from your passion intersecting with your talents, it doesn’t feel like work – it feels like play.  That is how I feel about the work of alinea. 

I want to share a story about my journey.  Three things happened at about the same time that put me on my path.  

Three Gifts From the Universe

As I look back I realize that the challenges on my life journey have been gifts from the universe that have allowed me to combine my passion to have a positive impact on the world with my talent to inspire and empower people and organizations to achieve more than they think they can.  

The First Gift – My Son Billy

Within four weeks after my son Billy started kindergarten at a school in one of the top two schools districts in the state, we got our first call from his teacher.  During group time down on the carpet, Billy couldn’t sit still; he would do a somersaults.  When standing in line Billy would be the one to swing his backpack around and inadvertently hit another child.  That was the start of what has become a very long journey of two parents trying to meet the needs of their child within an education environment that values its systems over meeting the education needs of individual students. 

The most important thing I learned was to trust my instincts about whether my child’s needs were being met and if I hit a road block to move up the chain of decision makers.  For five years we battled against language like “this is our system,” “Billy is making poor choices,” and “bad behavior.”  Until this year, none of his teachers took much time to get to know Billy as an individual.  Billy was evaluated by the school system, outside of the school system, never finding any type of definite diagnosis.  Billy has a little sensory integration issue, is very verbal and likes to use his hands.  All his teachers agree he’s bright, but he’s awkward with his peers.  We’ve seen child psychologists to help him with his behavior in school.  Having an IEP (individualized education plan) was a disaster, doing more harm than good because of its focus on special education versus individual needs.   

After all these years, today Billy has the best teacher ever.  She focuses on finding ways to keep Billy engaged, and she helped us discover that anxiety drove many of Billy’s distracting behaviors.  The love and creativity of his teacher, our unwavering message to Billy that he is unique and wonderful, and a very low dose of medication to help with his anxiety has changed his life.  He’s making friends, focusing in school and most important, he doesn’t start the day with a stomach ache anymore.   

The Second Gift – Launching a New School

About the same time my son entered kindergarten, I was asked to be the first founding board member of a new charter school located in the inner City of Milwaukee and serving low-income families.  During my interview with the founder, I asked “Why me?  I don’t have any experience with schools or education policy.”  I added, “I’m just a parent with children who go to school in a top performing school district.”  But the founder of this school said, “That’s why I want you on my board.”  She didn’t want an insider.  She wanted someone who wasn’t tied to the status quo, as well as someone who would know how to secure resources for the school and build community support.  This experience taught me a lot about education reform, how charter schools get approved, the extent to which politics impacts and gets in the way of making decisions that are in the best interest of children. 

The Third Gift – Charter Schools Ask for Our Help

In about 2000 the City of Milwaukee was blessed with an $18 million donation from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the Small School Initiative.  An organization was created to facilitate the creation of ultimately about 40 new charter schools.  In about 2005, one of these charter schools came to us feeling very nervous about their ability to keep their new school sustainable over the long term.  The group of teachers who designed an amazing curriculum realized they didn’t have expertise to build community support.  For nine months, we worked with this school to help them tell their story, build community awareness, communicate with parents and recruit professionals to sit on committees to help them with marketing.  Soon after, we were asked by another charter school to help them build community support, and then another.  We became sponges for education reform, and we began to make observations about a very important gap not being address in schools, namely sustainability through community engagement.  This experience became the seed for what is now our proven model for securing community support and resources.

In a way, I was personally led to this work, this way of having a positive impact on the world.  And it has not been difficult to attract people to the alinea team who also have a passion for education.  People want to help, but they don’t know what to do.  When a school hires alinea, they learn how to inspire people with their story, be clearer about what they need and how people can help, and strategically cultivate relationships in order to build community support and resources. 

The overwhelming response I get from people who attend my presentations is “You give us hope that we can do this?”  You see, the issue isn’t money; there’s plenty of money in the world.  The issue is doing what’s in the best interest of children and then learning how to effectively engage the community in your mission. 

Every day, my son William is a constant inspiration and reminder of the importance of the work that alinea does and the need to bring our message of focusing on what’s possible to communities everywhere. 

I hope you will join the alinea team and me on our journey to provide education to children that engages and inspires them to bring their passion and talents to others so they may fulfill their unique purpose.  

How You Can Help

Here are four easy ways you can contribute to the reach of our work:

1.     Become a follower of my blog and pass it along to others, and join our email list.

2.     Refer us to a school or nonprofit that could benefit by alinea’s unique community engagement program.

3.     Purchase my book, The Secret to Better Schools; A New Mindset For Engaging the Community, and give it as a gift.

4.     Make a donation to the alinea Foundation in order to empower organizations with few resources to benefit by our community engagement program. Please email me for more information.